It's once again that time of year, where there's a brand new Drag Race season on the horizon and a whole new batch of queens for me to analyze. I've done a few of these throughout the years, and although I don't have a perfect track record, I'm usually fairly decent at sussing out generally how well the girls will do.
As always, I'm writing this without any knowledge of spoilers. I know they're out there, I know exactly where to find them, and I will probably go look them up immediately after completing this post. But for now, I'm unspoiled and will be giving my genuine first impressions based on the Meet the Queens videos and the E1 preview posted on YouTube earlier this week.
The cast overall is... interesting... for me. There are a couple queens I see as cannon fodder, but apart from them, I feel like the rest of the cast is on a pretty even playing field. Usually I find it fairly easy to slot queens into roughly the general vicinity of where I believe they'll place, and I usually don't do TOO bad of a job. But this cast... girl who knows. I could be even more wrong than the time I predicted Monique Heart would be my least favorite & out early. For the record, she's now one of my top 5 favorite queens to ever be on the show. SO.
I'm going to be going through the list of queens in alphabetical order, talking about first impressions, how I think they'll do, and predicting their placement. Kinda. I have a definitive top half and bottom half, and I'll give additional commentary on top of that. I'll also be giving my personal fave ranking, AKA how much I personally like them, regardless of how well I think they'll do on the show.
Alyssa Hunter
personal fave ranking: 11/14
Of all the queens, I have the least notes on Alyssa. She said a lot without actually telling us much about herself. Like when you're trying to throw fluff sentences into an essay to get to the required word limit lol. She didn't say if she's got acting chops, if she's a dancer, a fashion queen, a comedy queen, etc. and that's a bit of a red flag to me. Instead she threw out words and phrases like: fierce, versatile, known for being an amazing artist, etc. it's all just very... generic. Maybe the language barrier is just holding her back from fully expressing herself, idk. But the weirdest thing about you is that you eat a lot? SUS. That is SUS. Her actual entrance into the workroom gives me some hope, because she says she's won a lot of pageants and is multitalented. But idk, there's just nothing about her that makes her stand out as unique to me upon first impression.
Predicted placement: I have her in my bottom half,
and roughly somewhere in the middle of that. So...4th or 5th boot?
Angeria Paris VanMicheals
personal fave ranking: 6/14
If there's one aspect of Drag Race that Angie has down pat, it's the charisma. She has such a good energy, and that jumped off the screen at me immediately. The makeup is stunning, and that seems to be her main gig-- she's all about the beat. I like that she seems a little quirky, a little weird, but looks very polished and put together. However, I do have the same concern as with Alyssa-- zero mention of her skills. Can she sew? Can she do comedy? Will she be a lip sync assassin? Who knows, because she said nothing about it. That concerns me. Being endearing will keep her around for a while, but she'll need the talent to match.
Predicted placement: I have her in my top half.
She gives me fan-fave-cut-in-5th-place vibes.
If she has the talent to match this remains to be seen.
Bosco
personal fave ranking: 3/14
I left Bosco's meet the queens video feeling very good about her. She definitely immediately has that energy and confidence of someone who's going to do well in Drag Race. I got very strong Aquaria vibes from her personality. She says she's been dancing for years, she got several good quips in, she seems to have a clear aesthetic. She just seems like she is ready, and she seems like the total package. I really like her and I can see her being really successful on this season.
Predicted placement: I have her in my top half.
I see her making the finale, tbh.
Daya Betty
personal fave ranking: 14/14
I... don't have high hopes for Betty. Maybe I just don't get her-- I never had strong opinions on Crystal either and everyone else seemed to be obsessed with her. I don't like making the immediate comparison, but a lot of the way she describes her drag reminds me of Crystal-- fun and playful, but can also be a bit dark, comedy doesn't especially seem to be her thing, seems a bit quirky, etc. However, she says she doesn't like being perfect, and her aesthetic does not seem to be as on-point as Crystal's. And that works in the real world, but on Drag Race, if that's your biggest strength... someone else striving for perfection is going to beat you.
Predicted placement: I have her in my bottom half,
and I believe she'll be an early boot.
Deja Skye
personal fave ranking: 1/14
During last year's promos, Olivia Lux came out of nowhere with this amazing energy that I immediately vibed with. And this year, Deja Skye did the same thing. I knew nothing about these queens before these videos, but Deja instantly clicked for me. A lot of queens claim they're versatile, even though they aren't-- but I believe it wholeheartedly about her-- something I also said about Asia O'Hara in Season 10. And the fact that Olivia and Asia are the first two queens who came to mind is an amazing place to be. She's also the only queen who gave a strange fact about themself that wasn't stupid. So there's that. Her fellow queens also listed her several times as the sweetest and class clown in the superlatives video, which I think both bode well for her chances, as well as how much I will like her.
Predicted placement: I have her in my top half.
I'm leaning toward finale, but that might be my bias talking...
Jasmine Kennedie
personal fave ranking: 7/14
Full-confession, this was the first queen I looked up on social media bc I desperately needed to know which queen was the glasses-manbun twink lol. So that clearly resonated with me. I also discovered through Insta that she's friends with Lemon, so... maybe I'll fall in love with her too! However, they're literally already shading her in the Meet the Queens video with her long-winded edit. C'mon, Gia Metric! (top 4 tho...) The other queens also said she was the drama queen and villain in the superlatives video, which was a bit of a surprise to me. She seems to be mostly a performer, she says she can sew, which are both great things. She also served up some over-used descriptors when describing her drag (old school meets new school, etc.). By virtue of her not making my top half, she's in my bottom half by default, but I think she's a pretty clear middle-of-the-pack candidate.
Predicted placement: I have her in my bottom half.
I think she'll make it about halfway.
Jorgeous
personal fave ranking: 13/14
I feel like I saw a lot of buzz about Jorgeous before I watched her intro, but I feel like I got very little from her?? She's a showgirl-- great. She talked about her look a lot. The only thing I really got from her personality is that she might be the one queen who's actually here to start drama? Is that why people like her? If she's a villain, she'll stick around at least a little while purely on that fact, however, I feel like I don't have a great feel for how well or poorly she will actually perform on the show.
Predicted placement: I have her in my bottom half.
I see her as a middle-of-the-pack queen until proven otherwise.
June Jambalaya
personal fave ranking: 9/14
June has a very interesting combination of qualities, and when she says she can't really be put in a box, I definitely feel that. She describes herself as looking bougey, acting ratchet. Says she went to performing arts school and has a great work ethic, both of which are fantastic to have for this show. My biggest concern for her is that she says people think she can't take criticism because she gets defensive. That is not a good thing on Drag Race. You talk back to the judges, you go home. Otherwise, I feel pretty good about her.
Predicted placement: I have her in my top half.
Not sure I see her all the way at the finale, but definitely going far.
Kerri Colby
personal fave ranking: 8/14
I think Kerri's the queen I've seen the most positive buzz about, and this time, I definitely see why. She seems so on-point, put together, and articulate. She's stuuunning, and just seems so polished and ready for this. That said, she is one of the queens who didn't say much in way of her performing ability, which is certainly concerning. But she just seems so confident and polished that I can't help but put her in my top half. Prove me right, queen!
Predicted placement: I have her in my top half.
Need more info for further analysis.
Kornbread The Snack Jeté
personal fave ranking: 2/14
A huge chunk of the challenges on Drag Race center around making Ru laugh. And a lot of these queens didn't come off as inherently funny. Kornbread, however-- the funniest one of the bunch. She's giving funny, she's giving authenticity, and she's giving confidence. That's a very powerful combo on drag race. Often that's our lovable underdog (Adore, Heidi, etc.) but if she has the skill and confidence to back her up, I feel very good about her winner chances. Her entrance package only solidified this for me-- I think she is a clear front-runner, and I think I'll really enjoy watching her succeed. Also, like Deja, the other queens listed her several times as the sweetest and class clown, which I think both bode well for her chances, as well as how much I will like her. (Seriously tho, I watched the superlatives video while finishing this post up & it made me feel real good about my choices here)
Predicted placement: I have her in my top half.
I see her making the finale, tbh.
Lady Camden
personal fave ranking: 5/14
I feel really good about Lady Camden's chances. She came off as clever, polished, and competitive without taking herself too seriously. She just seems to be polished and a bit goofy, and that's a combo I think does well on Drag Race if you have the skills to back you up. However, she's worried about comedic challenges, which is concerning. That said, I think she seems like a naturally funny person, which I think will help balance that out for her.
Predicted placement: I have her in my top half.
I could see her making the finale, tbh.
Maddy Morphosis
personal fave ranking: 10/14
Honestly, my main point of contention with Maddy is simply that I got absolutely nothing about her because her entire Meet the Queens video was about her being a straight man! I'm fine with her being cast on the season, but I feel like we've talked about nothing but her sexuality the entire pre-season, and because of that, I don't really know anything about her personality, aesthetic, performance ability... nothing. I just know she's straight.
Predicted placement: I have her in my bottom half by default.
I need more info...
Orion Story
personal fave ranking: 12/14
Girl... did you willingly choose to be here? Did your mom put you up to this? Or are you just like... suuuuper medicated in the Meet the Queens video? Because the energy is just... not there. At all. After watching her entrance, I wonder if she's playing a character in the Meet the Queens video? Because she calls herself a fembot in her entrance package and calls herself campy, and she's just so weird that I wonder if she's just lowkey a super meta campy queen who's actually brilliant...? That said, if she is... will the judges get it? Because I usually get things long before the judges, so if I'm confused, they're hopeless. Anyway, I'm interested to see what she's actually like on the show, but I don't have high hopes for her.
Predicted placement: I have her in my bottom half.
If Meet the Queens is her real personality-- first boot potential.
If she's actually very campy... who knows. Still probs an early boot.
Willow Pill
personal fave ranking: 4/14
I think Willow is my Dusty Ray Bottoms/Rock M Sakura of the season-- one that speaks directly to my heart and soul and that I want to do well... but won't. I love the Yvie connection, she's one of my faves. Willow seems to take after some of Yvie's darkness, but mostly just her quirkiness and strong sense of fashion. Which I love. However. She doesn't really... pop for me. Her Meet the Queens look? Definitely. But her entrance look is something totally different, so it's hard to really get any idea of what she's like as a queen. When asked if her entrance look was her signature style, she gave a seemingly sarcastic absolutely (the look is clearly tongue in cheek as well tho, soooo...?). So like... what is your signature style? Do you have one, girl? And the shady edit her entrance got... IDK. She seems quirky and likable, but probably a bit too all over the place to get really far in the competition.
Predicted placement: I have her in my bottom half.
I like her and would like her to make it at least halfway,
but I worry she will be a fairly early boot.
So those are my thoughts on each of the queens. Obviously, I haven't named a winner pick yet, but I do have one. BUT-- there's a bit of a discussion to be had first, and it's a bit of a serious topic. And it will inform my winner pick.
Drag Race has garnered a lot of criticism over the years both for its treatment of queens of color and the fact that a big girl has yet to win either of the American versions of the show. And, of course, Ru's comments about trans queens appearing on the show.
Given the... questionable... way Ru responds to such criticism...
(see: All Stars 4's double-win. Kylie winning All Stars 6 after Ru's comments on trans queens being on the show. Also the fact that he changed the format of the finale starting in S4 to take fan opinion into account in his decision.)
...I can't ignore the fact that there are three POC big girls on this cast. This show likes to stick to its casting boxes, and this is certainly a deviation. A very good one, but also one that seems incredibly purposeful. To me, it comes off less as casting trying to be more inclusive and more like Ru trying to stack the deck in favor of a winner to appease the fans... or at least not piss us off more.
You can't convince me this is the first season multiple amazing POC big girls have auditioned for this show.
Don't be surprised when one of them wins this season. I absolutely hate using this logic, but I feel that it's something to be considered given Ru's history with trying to appease the fans in the most blatant, CLUMSY way possible. And that's a shame, because as you'll have seen above, all 3 of them are in my top half. I think they're real contenders for the crown, and I worry that if one wins, it might be seen as a political move.
Keeping that in mind, my winner pick is Kornbread.
She would be my winner pick regardless of what I just discussed, but I felt like it was an important conversation to have, especially since Kornbread brought it up herself in her Meet the Queens video. I think Kornbread ticks all the talent boxes, as well as all the boxes Ru will be wanting to tick to appease the fans. Producers tried to do something similar with Silky in S11 and we all know how that turned out, but I think Kornbread can be the one to actually succeed, and do so without making everyone dislike her.
To be explicitly clear-- Kornbread is my winner pick because I believe she can win this season purely based on merit. However, this is a reality show, and merit doesn't always win the day over narrative, diplomacy, and audience favorites. And I can't ignore that she also is the perfect candidate for Ru to appease the fans.
Past that point, I think my official choices for the other three finalists are: Deja Skye, Bosco, and Lady Camden. I feel most confident about Bosco. Solely due to my personal bias, I'm not as sure about Deja (I don't trust my judgement bc I'm so biased toward her lol). Lady Camden is kinda just the obligatory fourth, so there are some other queens I could potentially see in that spot as well-- namely Kerri!
So, those are my first impressions of the queens of season 14 of Drag Race! I can't wait to see how correct and horribly incorrect I end up being lol. Thanks for checking out my blog, and you can see my Season 9, Season 10, and Season 13 posts respectively if you'd like to see more of my incorrect predictions about past seasons of Drag Race.
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